


Fridays with Friends Ficlets

by LeChatRouge673



Category: Dragon Age (Video Games), Dragon Age - All Media Types
Genre: F/M, fridays with friends ficlets
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-07-04
Updated: 2018-08-17
Packaged: 2019-06-05 06:13:44
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 12
Words: 13,163
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15164411
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LeChatRouge673/pseuds/LeChatRouge673
Summary: A collection of ficlets written for my followers over on Tumblr.





	1. Inner Grace

**Author's Note:**

> Written for @kagetsukai, featuring her OC Ellana Lavellan.

Nathaniel How was going to murder his best friend.

Thea had been the one who put the thought into her cousin’s head, and who had been quite nearly beside herself over the fact that Loghain had started taking her dancing on Friday nights. She hadn’t even known her husband _could_ dance; none of them had, actually. Nathaniel suspected it was not something the extremely private man had a habit of making public knowledge. So maybe he ought to be blaming _Loghain_ for taking Thea in the first place.

He sighed. Except he really had no desire to blame either of them. Thea was his best friend, and Loghain was fairly close behind her, and he knew neither of them had acted with malice aforethought. Well, at least, not in this circumstance. Thea had a mischievous streak but would never intentionally make him unhappy. And it wasn’t like she _knew_ about his aversion to dancing.

Not that he was aware of, anyways.

The studio was bright and airy and practically breathed space. There were floor-length mirrors running along one wall, and a barre along the wall facing them. A sound system was tucked discretely into one corner, and when they entered, a pretty blonde woman with her hair swept up out of her face in a messy knot was already there, stretching. She smiled when they entered.

“Welcome to your very first dance lesson. I’m Ellana Lavellan, and I’ll be your instructor.” She moved with a graceful briskness, and Nathaniel tensed slightly. _Why did I agree to this?_

“Thank you for agreeing to a private session,” Cat spoke up with a smile of her own. “We are both a bit rusty, and my husband is still a little reluctant.”

Nathaniel sighed. “I am not reluctant, I am just…”

Ellana laughed, saving him from having to admit that he was, in fact, extremely reluctant about the whole process. “Don’t worry: I’ve been told I could make a dancer out of a brown bear, so you should be a less arduous challenge. Now, do either of you have any experience?”

“I took ballet for about fourteen years, but only a few semesters of ballroom dance in university,” Cat replied. “Nate also took a few semesters in university. Actually,” she looked up at him, a sparkle in her violet eyes, “Now that I remember, I believe they were the same semesters _I_ was in the class.”

“Which may also have explained why I was never able to pay proper attention,” he admitted, squeezing her hand gently. Ellana grinned at both of them.

“Good. That means you will have a basic knowledge of what I’m talking about, but your technique will still be malleable, which makes my job as a teacher easier. We don’t have to unlearn any bad habits.” Their instructor studied them for a moment, then deftly placed hands and adjusted feet to they were in a suitable position. “Ok, good! It helps that you like each other.”

“Just a bit,” Nathaniel noted drily.

“Ah, a smartass,” Ellana noted with a giggle. “That’s fine, I can work with that. Now, we’re going to start with a basic waltz step, since that will help me gauge where you are skill-wise.”

She started the music, and Cat and Nathaniel walked through the first series of steps. He didn’t think it went too badly. Granted, he did not remember quite as many steps as he thought he had, and his body was maybe a little less graceful than he would have liked, but he did not once step on Cataline’s toes.

Ellana switched off the music. “Ok, I think that was a good start! Cat, that was great! I think you remember more than you’re giving yourself credit with. You,” she pointed at Nate, “Need to get out of your own head. The technical aspects are there, and you obviously have a basic understanding, but we need to tap into your inner grace.”

“ _What_ inner grace?” Nathaniel growled.

Ellana looked at him thoughtfully, tapping a slender finger to her cheek. “You’re an archer, right?”

“Yes,” he answered uncertainly. “How did _you_ know that?”

“Thea told me,” Ellana shrugged. “She takes belly dancing classes here with Bela and we chat sometimes. Not the point, though. The point is that archery inherently requires a degree of grace, right?”

Nathaniel shrugged. “I suppose so?”

She nodded. “Ok, so _that_ is what you need to tap into. What do you do to center yourself when you’re practicing archery?”

“I don’t know,” Nathaniel replied. “I breathe… I clear my head.”

“Yes!” Ellana clapped her hands together, blue eyes sparkling. “Exactly! Breathe. Clear your head. Ok.” She returned to the stereo system and gestured for Cat and Nate to take their positions again. “Take it from the top!”

Nathaniel took Cataline in his arms, drawing courage from her gentle smile and the warmth of her touch. He took a deep breath, and tried to clear everything but the beat of the music and the feel of her in his arms from his mind. They moved through the steps again, but this time his body felt less inflexible, less resistant.

“That was so much better!” Ellana exclaimed as she snapped the music off again and flashed them a bright smile. “And an excellent note on which to stop our first lesson. Practice this week, and we’ll pick it up again next Saturday.”

They both said their thanks and their goodbyes, then stepped out into the warm summer evening. Cat laced her fingers with his and smiled up at him. “So. Was it as torturous as you thought it would be?”

He leaned down and pressed a kiss to her lips before he opened the car door for her. When he took the driver’s seat, he gave her a smile of his own.

“Cataline, I spent the evening with you in my arms. It was perfect.”


	2. Constructive Downtime

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Written for @happiestastronaut, featuring her OC Valarie Trevelyan.

Spring was coming to Skyhold. Slowly, perhaps, but it was arriving nonetheless. The fragile buds on the trees were unfurling to reveal vibrant shades of emerald and jade, springing forth to merge with the soft hues of moss and the stubborn verdancy of the evergreens with which they shared the mountain. Thea still had not fully adapted to her adopted home: she still missed the quiet, more temperate lands of Montsimmard, and her house by the lake. It was still there, of course: waiting for them, should she and Loghain ever find their way back. After everything that had unfolded with the wardens, however, they were seriously considering simply leaving. They both desperately wanted to move back somewhere closer to the sea, and enough time had passed that perhaps they would be allowed to return to Ferelden.

Thea absently kicked a pinecone as she wandered aimlessly through the woods. It was a rare, quiet day at the keep: a breath between the chaos of Adamant and the impending horror that the peace talks in Orlais promised to be. She was still trying to figure out a way to weasel out of attending, but knew that was unlikely at best. The fact that Loghain would not be there at her side, especially now that she had finally been reunited with him, was proving particularly irritating. In an attempt to mollify her own increasingly surly temper, she had decided to take a walk outside, hopeful the first warm touches of spring would calm her mind.

Or at least, that had been the plan. At the moment, the peace was being disturbed by the steady beat of a hammer on wood somewhere nearby. Thea frowned, tilting her head slightly to try and ascertain the direction of the noise. Whoever was working, they were far from the keep and any of the construction projects being undertaken there. She followed the steady rhythm of tapping, stalking amidst the shadows of tree and stone until she came upon the source.

“Are you building a tree house?”

Valarie Trevelyan looked down at her with a slight shrug. “I needed to do _something_. I hate having downtime.”

Thea rather liked her distant relation. She had not met Val and her immediate family until both women were older, but there was a grounded warmth to the other woman that Thea appreciated. They had run into each other when Thea returned to Ostwick to settle the affairs of her deceased parents, and the latter had not been displeased to learn the younger Trevelyan would also be traveling to Haven, albeit as an attache of the circle rather than as a direct representative. Something Thea was grateful for now, as it meant Val had survived the blast that had killed nearly everyone else.

“I understand,” Thea replied, swinging herself up into the branches and shimmying towards the platform already established in the tree. “How long have you been working on this, exactly?”

“Since we arrived,” Val admitted. “Pass me some more nails?”

Thea handed them over, and Val nodded her thanks. The floor was already completed, and three of the four walls had been framed in. “This is not your first attempt at this, is it?” Thea asked quietly.

Val was quiet for a moment, then shook her head, sending auburn curls bouncing. “Second, actually. I built one for Aeret back home years ago. Benjamin helped with that one, though. It has been good for me to have something to work on; something to occupy my mind other than…” her voice trailed off, and her hand made a vague sweeping gesture back towards the keep.

“I imagine it is,” Thea agreed softly. She knew Val was working herself nearly to the bone: when she was not in the field, which was often, she was working in the surgery they had set up in Skyhold, pushing herself to the point of exhaustion and utterly draining her magic on a nightly basis. That was simply the way she was: she had a big heart, and Thea hated that she was essentially being punished for it. Thea knew the horrors that were the result of war. She had lived through the fifth blight; had been at the Battle of Denerim, and seen countless more lives snuffed out since she had tumbled into the Inquisition. Val kept herself right in the thick of it, and probably bore more nightmares than anyone ever should.

No, Thea did not blame Val one bit for wanting to keep her mind occupied.

“Besides,” Val continued, interrupting Thea’s chain of thought, “I wanted a place where I could sit outside with my books or a project and breathe fresh air. In the winter I’ll even be able to create heat globes, I think. I’m still experimenting a bit with the spells.”

“That sounds _wonderful_ ,” Thea sighed a bit wistfully. “I am greatly looking forward to the day when this is all over, and I can go back to the peace and quiet, my books and my husband and my music.”

Val gave her a sympathetic smile. “We will make it through this, Thea. You will lead us through, and the sun will rise on a world you saved.”

Thea laughed quietly. “That _we_ saved, Val darling. I’m just the cranky one with the mutated hand. It is people like you that are making the real difference. You are saving lives; giving people hope.”

“Give yourself some credit, Thea,” Val retorted. She was one of the only ones in the entire organization who bothered, or perhaps dared, to call Thea by her name rather than by her title. “You’ve got a mutated hand _and_ you’re good at bossing people around.”

“Aw, thanks Val,” Thea gave her a half smile. “Well, I suspect my temporary reprieve is over. I will see you later. Good luck with the construction project.”

“Thanks, Thea,” Val waved her hammer in Thea’s direction. “And who knows: this war lasts long enough, maybe I’ll have time to build you one too.”

 


	3. Traitorous Tippy Tails

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Written for @littlesnowarrow, featuring her OC Skadi Mahariel.

“I just don’t know, Anders,” Thea sighed into the phone that was currently cradled between her ear and her shoulder as she finished the breakfast dishes. “I’m thrilled Doc Ellora has this chance to do a travelling residency with her Dalish clan, but I’m not exactly happy I have to find a new veterinarian for the girls. They loved Ellora.”

“Yeah, it is never easy making that transition,” her friend agreed. “Have you given any thought into who you’re going to take them to?”

“No,” Thea admitted as she tossed the dish towel aside and walked into the living room, collapsing on the sofa next to her husband and resting her head on his lap. “That _may_ have been part of why I called. Who are you going to be taking your brats to? Have you found someone new?”

Anders was silent for a moment, and when he spoke, Thea could hear the hesitation in his voice. “Er… well… yes?”

“You don’t sound certain.”

Anders sighed. “I found a vet I like. She’s new to the area, and young. I don’t think she’s been in practice very long, but the cats absolutely love her. She makes house calls, which is a huge bonus with cats. Her name is Dr. Mahariel. I can give her your number if you like, but…”

“But?”

“She is a very nice young woman,” Anders began. “And she absolutely adores animals. She knows her stuff, too. You know I would not trust the kids to just anyone.”

Thea pinched the bridge of her nose, and Loghain stroked her hair carefully in an attempt to calm her. “Anders, you still have not answered the question.”

He paused again, then finally said, “Skadi is very… enthusiastic. She has a youthful sense of humor. You and Loghain, and you know I say this with love, tend to have a very quiet, very dry sense of humor. I am just not sure your personalities would be compatible.”

Thea gave a small snort of skepticism. “Anders, I don’t give a damn. If she can handle the girls, she’s hired.”

Anders laughed wryly. “Ok, Thea. I’ll text you her number. I’ll talk to you later, ok?”

“Ok. Thanks, Anders.” Thea hung up the call, then wrote down the phone number he texted her. She managed to call before the office closed and make an appointment to have all three girls seen for their annual checkups the following weekend.

The following Saturday, she found herself pacing in the living room. Loghain looked up from his book long enough to reach out and take her by the hand, pressing a kiss to her palm. “Anders would not have recommended Dr. Mahariel if she was not the best. It will be fine.”

“If it will be fine, why did you try and beg off on errands?” Thea retorted.

“Because you _know_ how people tend to react to me, Theadosia,” he replied quietly.

She sighed, then sat beside him on the couch, nestling close to him. “I _hate_ that you even have to think about that, love. In any case, I appreciate you staying. You know Agatha will only come out of hiding for you.”

“I am still trying to figure out how that cat ended up adopting me,” he muttered, but before they could continue that train of thought the doorbell rang. They exchanged one final look, then stood and went to the door. When they opened it, they were nearly bowled over by a diminutive elven woman, dark eyes sparkling and her mouth moving a mile a minute.

“Hey there! I’m Skadi Mahariel, your new vet! Or at least I hope I’m your new vet. I guess this is kind of my interview, isn’t it? I can’t _wait_ to meet your kitties! Oh, and you too, of course! You must be Thea! Anders told me about you.”

When Dr. Mahariel paused to take a breath, Thea jumped in. “Yes, I’m Thea Mac Tir. This is my husband, Loghain. Johanna is the black cat watching you from on top of the bookcase, Loghain is going to go find Agatha since she’ll only come out for him, and Susannah is probably hiding under the bed upstairs, so-”

“Oh, that’s ok! I bet I can get her to come out!” Before Thea could protest, Dr. Mahariel was bounding up the stairs two at a time. Thea looked to Loghain, who just shrugged with a sigh and followed her upstairs where the vet had instinctively found the door to their bedroom. She nearly jumped out of her skin when Skadi let out a yelp of glee.

“And who is _this_ handsome fellow?” She asked, scooping Thea’s beloved Teddy Bear up off his dedicated spot on her nightstand.

Thea winced as Skadi hugged the bear tight. “That is Teddy, my childhood bear. He is rather old and a bit fragile.”

“Ahh, I understand,” Skadi nodded somberly, carefully returning Teddy to his post before dropping dramatically to the floor. “There we are! Hello beautiful girl!” She reached her arms under the bed and, to Thea’s surprise, successfully retrieved a resigned looking Susannah from her lair. “Ok, let’s take them downstairs and get a weight and check the vitals, ok?”

Loghain retrieved Agatha from her perch atop his dresser, and Thea led the way back down to the living room where Skadi was already unpacking her equipment, seemingly unperturbed by Johanna’s enthusiastic purring as the sleek black cat wound around the vet’s ankles. “Traitor,” Thea muttered under her breath, and Johanna responded with an impudent flick of her tail.

Much to everyone’s relief, the appointment seemed to go incredibly smoothly. For all her youthful energy, Dr. Mahariel proved to be a talented and effective doctor, and the cats seemed to instinctively trust her. Even Susannah, who was notorious for shying away from strangers, and Agatha, who seemed to mostly prefer Loghain, cooperated with very little fuss. When she had finished up, Skadi gave Agatha a quick scritch under the chin before packing up her things.

“Ok, they look fantastic!” She announced with a broad grin. “They are obviously spoiled rotten and in perfect health. If anything comes up, feel free to give me a call, otherwise they should be good until their check up next year!” Skadi handed Loghain a business card, then breezed out the front door at the same whirlwind pace she had arrived. Loghain looked down at her, eyebrow raised.

“Well. That was…”

“Interesting.” Thea finished with a nod. “She seems nice, though.”

“She was very energetic,” Loghain noted drily.

Thea laughed, pulling him down onto the couch beside her and curling up in his arms. “Yes. And the girls absolutely adore her. Plus, she liked Teddy.”

“Good point,” Loghain admitted, pressing a kiss to her cheek. “So. Are we saving her business card?”

She allowed herself a small smile as she nestled closer.

“Yes. Yes, I think we are.”


	4. Bright Ideas

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Featuring @izzyb900's Luna.

Dawn crept into Skyhold, so unlike the bright blossoming of light Cataline Howe was accustomed to in the lowlands. Here, the sun had to compete with craggy mountain peaks and dour fortress walls before it would brush its rays over her skin and bring some measure of warmth. Still, sunrise was a ritual, even here, and it was not one she would trade for the world. She and Nathaniel had walked the battlements until they had found the highest point on the eastern most wall, where they could watch as the first breath of morning kissed the world.

Their time in Skyhold would be too short. Truth be told, they should not have made the detour. They finally had a lead, a _promising_ lead, in the west, and time was not exactly on their side. It was probably a minor miracle that thus far neither she nor Nathaniel nor Loghain had shown any signs of falling to the darkspawn taint, but Maker only knew how long their luck would hold. But Thea had been dealing with so much recently with the darkspawn magister, the red lyrium threat, the venatori… too much. Cat and Nathaniel had made the decision to detour into Orlais.

She heard a quiet exhale from her husband, and she knew his thoughts were probably not so far off from her own. It was hard for him to see his best friend bear so much, although they both felt better now that Loghain was back at her side. Cat snuggled closer to him, and was about to say something comforting when her attention was caught by a slight figure pacing further along the battlements, the rising sun catching the snowy white strands of the other woman’s hair. She seemed a bit agitated. Cat watched for a moment until her curiosity got the better of her, and she walked down the battlements towards her.

“Are you alright?”

Despite the gentle tone, Cat’s question seemed to startle the young woman. Now that she was closer, Cat realized she must be barely more than a girl herself, perhaps only eighteen or nineteen years. She offered a smile. “I apologize. I did not mean to startle you, but you seem anxious.”

“No, it’s alright.” A shy smile bloomed on her face. “I was just thinking, and I like the quiet up here. Oh! Where are my manners?” She held out a hand. “I’m Luna.”

Cat accepted the proffered hand and shook it warmly. “My name is Cataline, and this is my husband, Nathaniel.” She pointed to a stack of papers in Luna’s free hand. “It looks like you’re working on something important.”

Luna frowned slightly. “I… I don’t know. I hope so? Dagna and I have been working on some theories about how magic interacts with red lyrium. When I was very young in Tevinter, I was…” The younger woman paused and swallowed hard. “I was branded with red lyrium as part of an experiment.”

“Andraste’s blood,” Nathaniel murmured beside Cat. “We have heard of similar experiments. A friend of ours in the Marches was subjected to it, but we had no idea they had been expanded to the red.”

Luna shrugged, but Cat could see the memory was still raw for her. “I may have been an isolated case; I don’t know. What I do know is that, when it turned out I was a mage, the force of my magic manifesting sort of… _bleached_ the lyrium tattoos, I guess. I have been working with Dagna on some thoughts I had about how we might be able to use what happened to me to help combat the spread and infection of red lyrium.”

“That sounds like a very good idea,” Cat replied. “What is the problem? Have you hit a stumbling block?”

“Quite the opposite, actually.” Luna grimaced. “I think we have made a breakthrough. Dagna wants me to present my findings to the Inquisitor to see if we can get approval for further experiments.”

“Ah,” Cat laughed softly. “Let me guess: the thought of approaching Thea has you a bit on edge?” Cat loved her cousin dearly, but she knew how intimidating the woman could be, even now that she was a bit more mellow following her reunion with her husband.

Luna nodded sheepishly. “The Inquisitor is an amazing woman, but…”

“But she is a bit terrifying if you do not know her, isn’t she?” Nathaniel gave a wry chuckle, and Luna grinned.

“Just a little.”

Cat reached out and placed a gentle hand on her shoulder. “Come on. We’ll go with you.” She led the way back down the battlement stairs and towards the keep, Nathaniel and Luna following close behind. When they reached the dining hall, she slipped inside and was not at all surprised to see Thea already awake and working, poring over a series of maps with her husband and sipping from a mug of coffee. Cat was slightly relieved to see her cousin had already started on her first cup. Even she was not brave enough to try and poke at Thea too much before she’d had her coffee.

Thea looked up when they entered and raised a single eyebrow in question. “Morning, Catkin. Morning, Nate.”

“Good morning, Teddy girl,” Nathaniel leaned down and brushed a kiss to the top of her head, and Cat gently nudged Luna forward.

“Er, Inquisitor? I have been working on some theories on red lyrium, and I was hoping you might be willing to take a look at them and possibly approve resources for further experiments.” The words came out in a bit of a jumble, but Luna’s voice was strong and she kept eye contact with Thea. No small task, that. For her part, Thea accepted the stack of notes and paged through them, her eyes darting over the pages rapidly. Finally, she handed them back with a nod.

“Approved. Create a requisition order for Josephine and I will sign it before I leave for the Graves.”

“Thank you!” Luna smiled brightly, accepting her notes and turning to leave the dining hall and missing the subtle wink and half smile Thea gave Cat. Cat returned the gesture with a smile of her own, then settled down beside her husband, her cousin, and her cousin-in-law to enjoy a cup of tea of her own.

 


	5. Growth

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Written for @rhetoricalrogue, featuring her OC Vincent Trevelyan.

Thea Mac Tir was trying desperately not to touch anything. Void, she was trying not to _breathe_ on anything too hard, shooting furtive glances out of the corners of her eyes and standing stock still next to a colorful display of painted tin water cans and planter stakes. The nursery was carefully climate controlled, but she was still shivering slightly, more nerves than anything else.

It was not that she did not like plants. In fact, she was still secretly enamored with the idea of having greenery to grace every room in her house and at the office. The problem was that neither Thea nor her husband had any skill whatsoever with plants. Thea was, in fact, a notorious plant serial killer, albeit unintentionally. After the recent death of her cactus (too much water? Not enough sunlight?), Loghain had tactfully suggested she leave the gardening to Cataline.

Which was why Thea was currently standing in the Bough & Bloom Garden Market, trying to wait patiently but coming across as more uncomfortable and awkward than she ever liked to appear. Cat wanted to pick out more plants for her sprawling backyard garden, although Thea was at a loss as to where her favorite cousin intended to put them. In any case, while she was miserable with plants, Thea _was_ good with color, and Cat had insisted she needed her input. Thea just hoped it did not result in her accidentally murdering every plant in the place.

“You look a bit lost.”

Thea looked up sharply to meet the friendly face of a dark-haired man who fair towered over her. Based on the rich soil he was brushing off his hands and the air of simple belonging that radiated from his presence, she guessed he was an employee. She accepted the hand he extended and the warm handshake that accompanied it.

“Vincent,” he said by way of introduction. “I’m the owner.”

“Thea,” she replied with a small half smile. “And you are not wrong: I am utterly lost in a place like this. I’m here with her.” She tossed her head in the direction of Cat, who was talking to a pretty young woman with a pleasant smile. “She has one of the greenest thumbs I’ve ever seen. I kill plants just by being in close proximity.”

Vincent laughed, a warm, rich sound. “Come on, it can’t be that bad. Here, take a look at these.” He led her over to an aesthetically pleasing arrangement of succulents. “Everyone can grow things: you just need to find the right plant for you and your lifestyle.”

“These are beautiful,” Thea admitted a little wistfully. “I actually had about a dozen of them in my music room at home. They died.”

“Hmm…” Vincent rubbed his chin thoughtfully. “Too much water?”

“Possibly?” Thea shrugged. “Or perhaps not enough sun.”

“Very possible,” Vincent nodded in agreement. “Ok, well, it looks your friend is still deep in conversation with Roz, so why don’t we check out these.” He indicated a display of small cacti in various shapes and sizes.

“Er… nope.” Thea shook her head, slightly abashed. “My most recent victim was a cactus.”

This prompted another broad laugh. “Alright, I am starting to believe you. However, I do have _one_ more suggestion.”

“Ok, sure. Why not?” Thea followed Vincent to a final display, tucked away in the back corner of the nursery. There was a variety of plants here, as opposed to any one specific variety: the dusty beauty of succulents, the cheerful prickliness of cacti, the soft whisper of ferns. “They’re beautiful,” she noted. “But…”

“They are also 100% artificial,” Vincent smiled broadly. “Normally I don’t carry anything that isn’t alive, but the woman who makes these is an old friend, so I agreed to carry a few.”

“They look so _real_ ,” Thea murmured softly, reaching out and tentatively touching one of the ferns.

“They do,” Vincent agreed. “So, think you could keep one of these alive?” He grinned.

“I’ll take them all,” Thea replied promptly.

Vincent stared at her for a moment, blue eyes momentarily wide. “All of them?” He repeated back to her.

“All of them,” she agreed. “These will be a good start for my house, anyways. If I leave you my email, would you contact me when you get more in?”

“I- sure,” Vincent nodded, offering her a pad of paper and a pencil. “I’ll get in touch with my supplier. If you have something specific you want, let me know. I’m sure she would be willing to do a special order.” He glanced down at the paper she handed back to him. “You’re _that_ Thea?”

“You know many others?”

This prompted a chuckle. “No, I suppose I should have figured. Is that Cat Howe?”

“It is,” Thea nodded. “And if you’re not careful, she’ll empty out your shop as well. _She_ actually has a gift for plants.” She signed the receipt and filled in the delivery address. “Well, Vincent, it was lovely to meet you. I look forward to working with you in the future.”

“Likewise,” he replied. “A few more orders like this one, I may be able to look at a better space for this place. You know: one that _isn’t_ right next to the railroad tracks.”

Thea smiled. “Well, you decide you want to move, let me know. I _may_ be able to help you out there.” And with that, she rejoined her cousin.

And she still avoided the living plants.

 


	6. Simple Escapes

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Written for @alittlestarling, featuring her OC Rosalind Trevelyan.

Cataline breathed in deeply, letting the scents of growth and life infuse her lungs and settle her mind. She loved coming to this nursery and had, in fact, been impatiently waiting for the first sunny days of spring when she could begin acting on the designs she had been planning all winter. Cat’s garden was a source of peace and quiet, and she tended it with the same care and patience it lent her.

Her cousin, on the other hand, was standing completely still in a corner close to the entrance, looking for all the world like Cat had asked her to accompany her to an execution rather than a nursery. Poor Thea had absolutely no talent for gardening, and her husband had even less. Cat bit back a smile as her cousin gingerly moved around a stand holding a variety of succulents as if they were liable to bite her before she focused her attention back on a display of colorful wildflower seeds.

“Beautiful, aren’t they?” A soft voice spoke up beside her, and Cat turned to face a diminutive woman with kind blue eyes and a dusting of freckles on her cheeks. “I love watching them grow and bloom, and I even love watching them fade because I know there is always the promise of the next season, when I will see that growth and life all over again.”

Cat offered a smile. “I agree completely. And I have always had a soft spot for wildflowers. The very first bouquet my husband ever gave me was comprised completely of wildflowers from the meadow behind my family home.”

“That is almost impossibly sweet,” the other woman laughed, then offered a hand. “I’m Rosalind. Or just Roz, if you prefer.”

Cat accepted the gesture. “Cataline, or just Cat. I feel like I have seen you here before.”

Roz nodded. “You probably have. I am here as often as I can be, and sometimes I help Vincent out around the place.” She tossed her head in the direction of a tall, dark haired man who was talking to Thea, and her expression seemed to light up slightly when her gaze landed on him.

“Boyfriend?” Cat asked, and Roz giggled.

“Yes. And trust me: the irony that I fell for a man who makes me look even shorter and can carry me around without a second thought is not lost on me. He really is a gentle giant, though, I promise.”

Cat glanced back over to where Vincent was deep in conversation with a very skeptical looking Thea. “Well if he thinks he is going to convince Thea to adopt any new plant life, he is in for one void of a battle,” she observed wryly.

This prompted another quiet laugh from Roz. “Don’t count him out just yet. He can be very persuasive. In the meantime, what brings you here today?”

“Spring planting,” Cat replied promptly. “I’ve been waiting for what feels like _ages_. Have you started yours yet?”

“I’m hoping to this weekend, assuming work doesn’t get in the way,” Roz sighed, her tone tilting towards wistful. “I might be on call, and the first weekend of warm weather inevitably means the ER gets busy with people too impatient for the sun throwing all caution and common sense to the wind.”

“You work in the ER?” Cat asked. “A friend of mine works at St. Andraste’s. Anders.”

“I think I know him.” Roz tilted her head thoughtfully. “Although, it is a big place: I barely remember my own colleagues sometimes. In any case, assuming things do not go completely haywire I am hoping to spend a great deal of time with my hands in the dirt rather than in someone else’s blood.”

The wry flash of humor surprised Cat, and she laughed. “Seems entirely reasonable. It is rather escapist of me, but I do love being outside with nothing but birdsong and the distance sound of the sea and, if I’m lucky, my husband by my side.”

Roz’s answering smile was full of quiet understanding. “There is a peacefulness in the cool, dark depths of the soil. So much promise of life, which is a nice change from my day job. It is why I love coming here so much as well: Vincent always says he feels guilty getting the free labor, but the truth is this is as much a break for me as sitting at home.”

“Are you strictly an aesthetic gardener, or do you grow any herbs or fruits or vegetables?” Cat inquired.

“A little bit of everything,” Roz admitted. “I have a special place in my heart for my herb garden, though. Homegrown is always better than the stuff I can buy at the grocery store, and at I use them to brew my own teas for any number of ailments.”

Cat’s interest perked up at the mention of tea. “Oh, I _love_ teas,” she said. “Everyone else in my family, except my mother, tends more towards coffee, but for me you simply cannot beat sitting down with a good book and a cup of tea on a rainy day.”

“Absolutely!” Roz agreed enthusiastically. “I have developed a lovely blend that I make every time I have the luxury of a rainy day at home. If you would like, I would be happy to bring some in to share with a fellow tea connoisseur.”

“That would be wonderful, thank you, Roz.” Cat turned her attention back to the seed display. “I had better hurry up and make my picks, before Thea accidentally kills every plant in this place.”

Roz giggled. “I wouldn’t worry too much about that.” She pointed in the direction of Vincent and Thea. “He has introduced her to the wonderful world of artificial greenery. If she can kill that, I’ll really be impressed.”

Cat gave a quiet laugh of her own. _I daresay I’ve made a new friend._

“Me too, Roz. Me too.”

 


	7. Expectations

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Written for @sonorousselkie, featuring her Ailynn Lavellan.

“Remind me again why I have to spend my Saturday dress shopping, Catkin?”

“Because, Thea,” Cat replied with what she knew her cousin would consider an annoying amount of patience, “Nora is our friend, and she wants us at her birthday party, and that means formalwear. If you would tell your husband to stop being so hard on your dresses…”

Cat glanced over in time to see a small smile flicker ever so briefly over Thea’s expression. “That last one was not strictly his fault. There were just _so_ many buttons, and he was only doing what I told him to.”

“Be that as it may,” Cat laughed, “I made this appointment with Vivienne weeks ago, and you _know_ how much she values promptness.” She pushed open the glass door to the shop and ushered Thea in, minimizing the chances of the other woman trying to bolt. Walking into Vivienne’s studio was almost like walking into another world: every piece of furniture had been chosen with exquisite care and with shrewd attention to function and aesthetic, and there was the faintest hint of _something_ in the air that customers were hard-pressed to place, but that both soothed and tempted the senses. The walls and floors were light without being stark, all the better to show off the ethereal creations tastefully arranged on mannequins around the show floor.

Today, there was an unfamiliar woman working behind the counter: her long black hair was twisted back in a neat braid, and her face wore an expression of absolute impatience. A customer with too much eyeshadow and not enough common sense was arguing with her over the material of a dress.

_“I. Need. Silk. Not. Satin.”_ The customer spoke in an exaggerated, slow, deliberate tone, as if the woman on the other side of the counter was hard of hearing or dull. Cat was briefly considering stepping in and pointing out that the garment the customer had selected _was_ in fact silk when the other woman’s face suddenly broke out in a wide grin.

_“I AM BLIND. NOT DEAF.”_ She replied at the top of her lungs, sending the customer jumping about three feet in the air and prompting a muffled snort of laughter from Thea. “Now,” the woman continued in a normal, conversational tone as if nothing had happened, “I believe that if you will examine the tag, you will see that this dress is silk, hence the detailed care instructions. However, if you would like to continue demonstrating your ignorance to the entire shop, please, be my guest.”

With that, she flounced out from behind the desk and approached Cat and Thea. Cat was a bit surprised to see that she was not particularly tall: her presence had made her seem more imposing than she was. “You two must be Cataline Howe and Theadosia Mac Tir. Vivienne said you’d be in today. She also said no one else in the city will dare wear that lavender scent since Ms. Mac Tir claimed it as hers.”

“She is not wrong,” Thea replied with a half smile. “And neither are you, although I do not believe we have met.”

The woman laughed drily. “Oh, trust me: you would have remembered meeting me. My name is Ailynn Lavellan. Vivienne affectionately refers to me as one of her ‘projects.’”

“Ailynn, yes.” Cat smiled. “Vivienne has told us a great deal about you. She is incredibly particular about who she chooses to spend her time with, which speaks highly for you. Although I admit this is the first time we have run into you here. Aren’t you a physical therapist?”

Ailynn nodded. “Yep. Poking at people and making their bodies work even when they don’t want to. Not all that different from trying to get people to cooperate for a dress fitting, really, except there are fewer pins and needles.” She gestured for Cat and Thea to follow her to one of the back rooms where they would try on their dresses and one of Vivienne’s seamstresses would make the final alterations. “I am helping out today because Vivienne’s normal receptionist is out sick and I happened to have a few free hours before my next client.”

“Have you known Vivienne long?” Cat asked, and Ailynn shrugged.

“Quite a while. Vivienne is one of the only people who has ever been able to look past my shitty childhood and my blindness and see a person. Granted, she also saw a person she thought she could attempt to mold into a ‘lady,’” she laughed. “She may have bitten off more than she can chew there, I’m afraid, but I love her like family. Actually, more than most of my family. Ok, let’s see what we’ve got here.” She pulled two dresses from a selection on a rack. “This one… light. Airy. Sleeveless and flowing. This must be yours, Ms. Howe. And this sleek one with the neckline down to here,” Ailynn gestured low on her torso with a grin, “Must be Ms. Mac Tir’s. Vivienne made a point of not letting you have any buttons this time.”

“Please, just Cat and Thea,” Cataline laughed as Thea rolled her eyes with a small huff.

Ailynn nodded in agreement. “Ok, Cat and Thea. Go ahead and slip into these and hop up on the dais. Simone will be in here in a moment to make the final tweaks, and then you’ll be all set. Holler if you need anything.” Then, with an impudent salute and a final impish smile, Ailynn stepped out of the room.

Cat and Thea were silent for a moment, then Cat burst out into giggles that were only intensified by the slightly bewildered look on her cousin’s face. “Well,” she gasped when she could finally breathe, “She is not at all what I expected.”

“She certainly was not,” Thea agreed. “The way Vivienne described her, I expected some sort of demure, unassuming waif. She is _much_ more interesting.”

“Oh, absolutely,” Cat agreed. “I rather like her.”

Thea gave a small, half smile.

“Yes. I think I do as well.”

 


	8. Practice

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Featuring @mandojedi23's Alex Trevelyan.

Alex tugged at the skirt of the sundress Josephine had insisted looked ‘adorable’ on her, wishing she had opted for shorts instead. Six months out and she still wasn’t used to wearing anything other than army gear. She also was not used to going out in any sort of social capacity that did not involve others from her unit, but Alex had been determined to make new friends. Denerim was going to be her home for as long as she was in med school, and discomfort or no she was going to make the best of it.

Josephine had been the first friend she had really made in the city. The Antivan woman had seemed to have a gift for making people feel at ease, and she was exceedingly well connected. If anyone could help Alex make sense of her new home, it would be her. Still, Alex had been demurring for weeks about going out, but Josie had finally worn her down, and now they were stepping into the unassuming entrance for The Hanged Man.

The bar itself was _much_ more interesting on the inside than it had been on the outside, and Alex wasn’t entirely sure where to look first. A stage at the front held a baby grand piano that was currently being played by a woman with auburn hair and a lilting voice, and was faced by a series of comfortable looking couches, all of which seemed to be occupied. Two walls were lined with cozy booths, and small tables occupied the rest of a floor that could obviously be cleared for dancing if need be. A long bar lined the back wall, but she and Josie settled in at one of the tables closer to the stage.

Josie brought over the first round of drinks, and by the second one Alex was actually starting to feel relaxed. “I’m glad we did this,” she admitted as she sipped her drink. “I think I needed to get out of my own head for a while.”

“You certainly needed to get out of that apartment and away from your books for an evening,” Josephine agreed emphatically. “If I recall correctly, you are already excelling in your classes. Taking an occasional evening off to spend time with friends will be good for you. Besides, I would like to start introducing you to some people.”

“I don’t know,” Alex protested uncertainly. On stage, the woman had finished the song she’d been singing and had graced the crowd with a subtle half smile.

“Alright kittens, I think I’ve earned a drink, don’t you?” Her smile broadened just a fraction as a wave of laughter rolled through the room. “Anyone who wants to give it a shot is welcome to come up and tinker for a bit if they’d like.” And with that, she stepped off the stage and sauntered off in the direction of the bar, where a woman with raven colored hair had already poured a shot of whiskey.

“Alex!” Josephine whispered excitedly, placing a hand on her friend’s arm. “You should go up! You’re been learning to play, haven’t you? ”

“The operative word there being ‘learning,’” Alex replied. “I’m not sure-”

Maybe it was the drinks. Maybe it was Josephine’s encouragement. Maybe she was just crazy, Alex wasn’t sure, but somehow she found herself taking a few tentative steps forward. Before she knew it, she was on the stage, and she was sitting behind the piano. _No going back now, I guess_. With slightly trembling hands, she began to play the only song she knew by heart.

At the end of the song, she took a deep breath, and she was more than a little surprised to hear an enthusiastic round of applause from the audience. Alex stepped off the stage and hurried back towards Josie, trying to ignore the color she felt rising in her cheeks. Her friend was chatting with the woman that had been on stage before her, who was leaning back against the chest of a tall, serious looking man with dark hair and intense blue eyes. His arm was wrapped around the other woman’s waist and his thumb was tracing a gentle pattern against her hip, so Alex had to assume he was her husband.

“Alex, that was _wonderful_ ,” Josie exclaimed, wrapping her in a warm hug as she approached.

“Not bad, kitten.” The other woman gave the same half smile she’d used onstage, but her storm blue eyes were thoughtful. “You know, Varric has been looking for someone to fill in more of my shows while I’m in Gwaren. Cat took some, but I know he is always looking for more volunteers.”

“Oh, I don’t think I’m nearly ready for that,” Alex interjected quickly, though she couldn’t help but feel a warmth in her heart at the compliment.

The other woman shrugged. “I disagree, but it is of course up to you. If you change your mind, let Varric know the next time he’s in. Tell him Teddy Girl sent you.” She looked to Josephine. “I’ll see you on Monday, Josie? Will you be joining Cat and I for coffee?”

“Of course, Thea,” Josephine nodded. “Enjoy your evening.” She and Alex watched as the couple walked back towards the front of the room, and the woman ascended the stage once again.

“Thea,” Alex repeated slowly. “You mean Teyrna Mac Tir? As in your boss?”

“Hm?” Josie asked absently, looking up from her phone. “Oh, yes. That was Thea. She still does a few shows once in a while when she’s in town. Half the time she at their other home in Gwaren though, so she is not around as much as she used to be.”

Alex glanced back over towards the stage. “I’m not sure the teyrn liked me much.”

Josie gave a small trill of laughter. “No, Loghain is like that with everyone he doesn’t know well. Trust me, if he did not like you, you would know it. Besides, _Thea_ thought you had talent, and her opinion is the one that will carry the most weight here. You really ought to consider what she says: she does not allow her name to be dropped by just anyone.”

“Maybe.” Alex shrugged, trying to ignore the giddy feeling building in her chest.

That night, when she went home, she sat down at the piano and she practiced.

_Maybe going out was a good idea after all._

 


	9. Naturally

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Featuring @poweredbycoffeeandwine's Elina Trevelyan.

“You are pacing, Theadosia.”

Thea paused long enough to spare a brief glare in her husband’s direction. Which was a mistake, because her eyes inevitably ended up lingering longer than she intended and she was supposed to be anxious, damn it. She loved that shirt… it was one of her favorite shades of blue, and it brought out his eyes so much it nearly broke her. Had she bought it for him?

“I am _not_ pacing.” She shook her head, sending auburn waves tumbling as she scowled and refocused her thoughts. When Loghain simply pointed at the track she had managed to imprint into the grass, she sighed. “Alright. I am pacing.”

“It will be fine, Sweetheart,” he reassured her, stepping closer and wrapping his arms around her waist. Thea leaned against his chest, her ear against the steady beat of his heart. “We both agreed it was past time.”

Thea growled slightly. “I know,” she conceded. “I want a photo for the other side of my locket. I do. I just _hate_ having my picture taken. It never turns out well.”

It wasn’t strictly true: the photo on one side of the golden wyvern locket Loghain had given her for Satinalia was from their wedding, and she had been more than a little surprised to find she did not hate the way she looked in it. She looked radiantly happy which, in fairness, she was. The man was going to absolutely ruin her reputation.

“Well, you picked a _gorgeous_ spot for this, didn’t you?” A new voice chimed in, friendly and comforting. Thea peeked around her husband to observe the approach of the newcomer, who she assumed must be their photographer. The sight of the woman hauling an impressively large bag of camera equipment confirmed her assumption. “I love the sunflowers,” she continued with a bright smile.

“They are my favorites,” Thea admitted cautiously. Elina had come highly recommended to her; she had taken Anora’s annual portrait for years and her dear friend had nothing but praise for her. Thea had to remind herself that it was not Elina’s fault she was wary around new people, and around photographers especially.

Elina nodded in agreement. “I love them, too. It is always nice to work in a setting that the clients are already comfortable in, and we even lucked out and got some amazing weather to boot.” She studied them intently for a moment. “And you even picked a good color palate for your clothes, which helps _so_ much.”

“I’ve always been good with color,” Thea replied automatically before she could stop herself. When Elina looked at her curiously, she shrugged. “Zero artistic talent, mind you, but I have always had a fair eye for color.”

The other woman laughed. “Hey, it works! Like I said: makes my job easier. And I was super excited to get the commission. Queen Anora said she was going to suggest me to you, but I admit I didn’t think she would actually remember.”

“Well, at least she tried to give you fair warning,” Loghain remarked with a flicker of a smile.

“Yeah, she mentioned neither of you are great at sitting for pictures,” Elina grinned. “Ok, let me get set up, and we can get started! I’m thinking that, for you two, I don’t want to do something super pose-y, you know? Why don’t the two of you go wander a bit, and when I’m ready, I’ll let you know.”

Thea nodded, relaxing slightly as Loghain intertwined his fingers with hers and gently squeezed her hand. “I am sorry I am such a mess,” she sighed. “You know how I feel about pictures…”

“You seem to suffer from the delusion that you look anything less than stunning in them,” Loghain replied. “Which I admit I do not understand, and find a bit heartbreaking.”

She shrugged, settling down beside him on a patch of grass and delicately arranging her dress around her. “I don’t know, love. I just… I just wish I could see myself the way you do. Although I still think you probably need your vision checked.”

“You are beautiful, Theadosia,” he murmured quietly, wrapping his arms around her. “I realize a photo will never capture your intelligence or your wit or the countless other ways you manage to bewitch me on a daily basis, but I want you to know that it will at least capture some fraction of just how beautiful you are.” He pulled her closer and pressed a kiss to the top of her head and, despite herself, Thea smiled.

“Perfect,” Elina exclaimed softly. Thea glanced up and was surprised to see the photographer nodding in satisfaction, her face still behind the camera. “I think that is going to be the winner right there, but of course I will send over all the prints you like.”

Thea stared at her for a moment. “You mean-”

Elina giggled. “I told you I didn’t want something super posed,” she reminded them. “Honestly, the framing with the flowers was just perfect, and I knew that if I left you two to your own devices he was more likely to get you to smile than I ever would be. It happened naturally, and that _always_ makes for better photos.”

“Well, well,” Thea shook her head with a half smile. “Color me impressed. You are not wrong: I do not smile easily, but there are a few people who have better odds than others.” Loghain helped her up, and she tried to resist the urge to take a peek at the camera.

“Don’t worry,” Elina reassured her, guessing her intentions. “I’ll have the edited images to you as soon as I can, and as soon as you approve them we can order whatever size prints you want. I can even probably get one sized properly for your locket.”

“Thank you.” Thea accepted the hand Elina offered. “You were wonderful to work with. Would you consider working with us again to do a family shoot? I would love to get a portrait of everyone together.”

“Absolutely!” Elina replied with enthusiasm. “Here, take my card, and we can talk about getting something scheduled.” Then, with a final wave, she gathered up her gear and headed back towards her car.

Thea exhaled deeply, leaning against her husband as he wrapped an arm around her waist. “I am not entirely certain what just happened,” she confessed.

Loghain laughed softly under his breath. “I think we finally found someone who can photograph you properly. Anora clearly knew what she was doing.”

“Nora is a brat and I fully intend to tell her so this evening at dinner,” Thea grumbled. “That being said, I look forward to seeing the finished product.” She took his hand, and they began a slow walk back to their own car.

“Maybe it won’t be so awful after all.”

 


	10. Snowfall

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Featuring @lavellanlove's Avira Lavellan.

Thea rarely slept in terribly late. She had always been an early riser, even before she had married a man with similar habits, but every so often they both enjoyed spending a few precious extra hours in bed after a late night or a long journey, and Thea had recently endured both. She had just returned to Skyhold after a too-long venture to the Exalted Plains, and had spent the better part of the evening in the bath trying to wash the pervasive scents of smoke and swamp from her person. Now, she and most of the rest of the Inquisition would be settling in for the winter, taking a few precious months of respite before they attended the peace talks in Halamshiral.

Even though she was awake, Thea kept her eyes closed, instead enjoying the warmth of her husband’s body against hers, and the subtle scent of lavender that still hung in the air after her bath from the night before. She could feel a hint of chill in the air against her cheek, and grimaced slightly when she realized the stone floors would also be unpleasantly cold beneath her bare feet when she finally got up to light the fire. It would have to be done sooner or later; she knew that. She just also knew that, at the moment, she was _wonderfully_ comfortable under the covers, Loghain’s arm wrapped around her waist and the allure of sleep still tugging at her.

Thea had just made the decision to sleep in a bit longer when a series of gleeful shrieks from the courtyard startled her into sudden alertness. Carefully slipping out of bed so as not to wake her husband, she quickly threw on some clothes and, reluctantly, a pair of socks and boots before striding over to the doors leading to the balcony overlooking the gardens.

It had snowed the night before; the first real snowfall of the season, and it had blanketed the keep in a serene blanket of white that glittered in the early morning sunlight. Thea took a moment to simply breathe in the frigid air, gazing out over the world that seemed somehow more peaceful for the veil that had been laid over it by the wounded sky. She had hated winter as a child, but as an adult she had learned to appreciate the opportunity to rest and recharge and otherwise simply spend time with the people she loved rather than constantly running about like a wildcat.

Thea’s musings were interrupted by a fresh chorus of laughter, and she turned her attention to the garden where a snowball fight was in progress. Two of Leliana’s best agents, Charter and Avira, were engaged in a pitched battle, with playful taunts flying nearly as frequently as the snowballs. They seemed to be issuing increasingly ludicrous challenges to each other with the gravity of Antivan duelists, and Thea had to bite back a smile as a particularly well-placed snowball nearly knocked Charter on her ass.

It was good to see the younger women smiling for once, she reflected, stepping back inside and carefully closing the doors. Thea lit the fire that had been laid the hearth the night before, letting the sudden rush of flames warm her. She stared into the flickering light, her expression thoughtful. So many of their people, and perhaps especially Leliana’s people, had been given precious few opportunities to simply relax and laugh and find some joy in what was admittedly a very dark time. The winter season would perhaps be good for all of them.

Thea pressed a kiss to her husband’s cheek before she quietly slipped downstairs and into the dining hall, grateful to see a sizeable urn of coffee already set at her usual spot. She poured herself a mug and took a long sip, letting the bitter brew seep into her system and coax her mind and body to life. Moments later, Charter and Avira tumbled into the dining hall, cheeks red, hair tousled, and eyes sparkling. With a nod of her head, Thea invited the two women to join her.

“Another time, Inquisitor,” Charter replied politely, her lilting voice still slightly breathless. “I’m afraid my companion here managed to get a fair amount of snow down my back, and I would like to find dry clothes.”

“Of course,” Thea acknowledged with a small smile at Avira as the other woman accepted the seat across from her. “The two of you seemed to be in quite the skirmish out there.”

“Oh!” Avira looked at Thea, her glance apologetic. “We did not mean to wake you, Inquisitor. It has been a long time since either of us has seen snowfall, and after all the stress of working in the Plains we just wanted to blow off some steam, I think.”

Thea held up a hand with a half-smile. “Please, do not apologize. I certainly do not begrudge any of you a bit of joy amidst all this chaos. It was good to see you smiling.”

Avira gave a small nod. “Yes. I do not believe I have had a snowball fight for- ” The elven woman paused and seemed to consider her next words carefully. It was a habit Thea noticed frequently with her. “Well, since I was younger.”

Thea studied her for a moment over the edge of her mug. “You are not as old as you said you were, are you?”

Avira glanced at her sharply before settling back with a shrug. “Secrets and half truths are an occupational hazard. Besides, you of all people seem to understand the benefits of omitting certain information until it is absolutely necessary. Or useful.”

Thea’s hand went to her locket, a gesture she had not realized she would miss until she had not been able to do it for several months. “Fair enough,” she acknowledged. “I did not intend to offend; my apologies. Your work with the Inquisition has been exceptional.”

“Thank you.” Avira gave her a small smile before they sank back into a comfortable silence. Thea had nearly finished her coffee and was preparing to return to her room to answer some letters when the other woman spoke again.

“The hero of Ferelden… she is your kin, isn’t she?”

Thea nodded slowly. “Yes… Cat is my cousin, but really more my sister. We grew up together, and her husband is my best friend. We are very close.”

Avira weighed her next words before she spoke. “They saved the alienage in Amaranthine. My home. Even though it meant more sacrifices for the wardens.”

“It was the right thing to do,” Thea pointed out. “For Cat, it was never a question. The wardens at Vigil’s Keep were soldiers; the citizens of Amaranthine were not. She could never have left them defenseless.”

“Many humans would have,” Avira replied quietly. Her eyes met Thea’s. “When… when you speak with her again… would you please convey my thanks? I realize it has been many years, but her actions have continued to resonate with me.”

Thea offered Avira a rare smile. “Of course. Enjoy the snow, Avira.”

She gave Thea a small smile of her own.

“My thanks, Inquisitor.”


	11. Subtleties

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Featuring @shannaraisles's Mila Trevelyan.

It was a rare, perfect Harvestmere day. The weather was in fine form: the autumn sun was peeking through the trees and accentuating the riot of reds and golds and oranges interrupted by the occasional stubborn evergreen. Even the temperature was unusually mild and pleasant, necessitating only a light jacket, and Thea was still able to wear her usual flip flops even though they were rapidly approaching winter. She and Loghain had made the unilateral decision to take the day off, even though it was the middle of the week, just to enjoy a final trip to the Denerim Zoo before the weather made going unpleasant.

Not that she wouldn’t still drag him to the zoo in the winter, but this way there was less mock complaining.

Thea leaned against the wooden railing lining the tiger enclosure with a sigh of contentment and Loghain joined her, wrapping an arm around her waist. He’d been growing steadily more comfortable with showing affection in public, which never failed to make her smile. He bent down and brushed a kiss against her cheek.

“You truly enjoy this, don’t you?” He asked.

“Of course,” she replied promptly. “You know how much I love animals, and Denerim has one of the best zoos in southern Thedas as far as their habitats and animal welfare standards.”

“They remind me of you, I think,” he observed, nodding his head in the direction of next enclosure over where a panther was lounging in the sun. “Grace, power, poise…”

She wrapped her arms around his waist and squeezed tightly. “You say the nicest things,” she laughed as she nestled her head against his chest. “But I still haven’t forgiven you for not letting me steal that penguin.”

“Oh for the love of… Theadosia, you are _not_ stealing a penguin.”

It was a familiar argument they had every single time they came to the zoo. Thea had a soft spot for the flightless little birds, and frequently joked about tucking one away in her handbag to smuggle home.

“Good call,” came a friendly voice at their side. Thea turned to see a beautiful young woman with chestnut hair and sparkling umber eyes. Her zoo staff uniform looked to be a size too big for her lean frame, but Thea of all people understood the appeal of wearing oversized clothes. Void, she was currently wearing one of Loghain’s flannel shirts over her own too-big t-shirt. The woman offered a bright grin as she leaned against the railing next to Thea before she continued speaking.

“Penguins are awfully cute, but they _smell_. All that fish in their diet does not for pleasant smelling critters make.”

“See?” Loghain said. “She understands.”

The woman laughed. “Don’t get me wrong: once upon a time ago I was convinced I wanted a pet lion. Just be glad she wants something small and, you know: not a predator. Oh, I’m Mila, by the way.” She held out a hand, and they each returned the gesture.

_Ah. The awkward part_. Thea managed a small smile. “I’m Thea, and… and this is my husband, Loghain.”

If the names meant anything to her, Mila did not show it. “Nice to meet you both!” She replied brightly. “Always nice to talk to fellow fans of big cats. They’re my specialty.” Mila pointed to her name badge, where ‘big cat specialist’ was typed neatly beneath her name.

“Have you been doing this long?” Thea asked, curious.

Mila bit her lower lip thoughtfully for a moment before she answered. “Not terribly long? I was actually quite lucky: I got snapped up right out of university and was hired on as a junior zookeeper working with the primates, but my passion has always been the big cats. As soon as the opportunity came up to transition to this job, I jumped at it and never looked back. It’s my dream job.”

“I can imagine,” Thea agreed, smiling slightly as the tiger yawned and stretched, the sunlight making its stripes blaze and shimmer. “Do you have a favorite? I can never quite pick between the tigers and the leopards, or the jaguars, or the darling little bobcats, or the caracals, or the cheetahs…”

“You have listed half the exhibits, sweetheart,” Loghain interrupted drily, and Mila laughed.

“I hate to play favorites, but I admit I have always adored the lions,” she replied. “And don’t get me wrong: there are a lot of parts to the job that are less than glamorous. _A lot_. But, moments like this?” She gestured towards the tiger who was now daintily grooming a paw. “Makes it all worth while.”

They were quite for a moment, simply enjoying the sunshine and the peace and the subtle elegance of the predator in front of them. “Well,” Mila finally announced, “I had better get back to it. I’ve got lion enrichment exercises scheduled in about twenty minutes and I need to pull the elk haunches from the freezer.” She pushed back from the railing and flashed another brilliant smile. “I would do my normal pitch to try and get you to sign up for a zoo membership, but since you already have your name on at least one of our buildings I doubt I need to.”

Thea looked up slightly sheepishly. “Ah, so…”

“Of course,” Mila grinned before Thea could finish her sentence. “You two may be subtle, but you’re not invisible. Besides, how many couples named Thea and Loghain could there possibly be?”

“Fair point,” Thea laughed. “Well, Mila, we appreciate your time. Have fun with your kitties!”

With a final wave, Mila turned and walked away, humming slightly under her breath. Thea slipped her hand into Loghain’s once more, and they turned to walk down another path. “So,” he asked her, “Where to now?”

Thea smiled.

“I still bet I could smuggle out a penguin.”

 


	12. The Fourth, the Fifth

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Featuring my SWF, @slothquisitor's, lovely Mara Trevelyan.

Theadosia Mac Tir stared at him, one delicate eyebrow raised just slightly. Her features were set in an expression of incredulity, storm blue eyes searching his for something. Apparently not finding it, she shrugged.

“You realize how weird that would be, right?”

Cullen sighed, rubbing the back of his neck. This was, in fact, about the reaction he had been expecting. For all that they had not been together in several years, he and Thea remained friends, and they still knew each other better than most. Because of that he could not only guess her reaction to his request, he could also safely assume that she would eventually agree to go along with it. “It will not be _that_ weird. Slightly weird, maybe, but I think she’ll like it.”

Thea stood and went to the fridge to retrieve another beer for each of them. When she passed him his and settled back down into the kitchen chair, she asked, “Then why aren’t you having this conversation with her? To do what _you_ want we would need at least four voices, preferably five. Plus, that song is kind of important to Cat and Nate, so I am not going to touch it until you consult with her.”

“I was already planning on it,” he reassured her. “In fact, I am hoping to recruit her as well because she already knows the part. You can fill in the fifth part on the guitar or the piano.”

“Check your math, kitten,” Thea’s brow quirked up again. “That still only leaves you four parts. I believe I said we would need at least four voices, and then yes, I can fill in the fifth instrumentally if need be.”

Cullen met her gaze with a steady one of his own. “I think you know perfectly well where we could find a fourth voice.”

“Oh no.”

“Oh yes,” Cullen countered quickly, before she could come up with a suitable argument. “It is not widely known, but I happen to have it on good authority that not only can your husband sing, but that he has a good voice.”

“You’re right, it’s not widely known, and I do not see a scenario in which he would be ok with that changing,” Thea pointed out, pinching the bridge of her nose. “Ugh. Cull, do you have any idea how creative I am going to have to get to convince him to help?”

“Yes, I’m sure it will be a terrible hardship and you will both just absolutely hate it,” he deadpanned, and she laughed.

“Oh, alright. I will see what I can do.”

 

* * *

 

 

“I think it is a lovely idea, Cull,” Cat smiled quietly, handing him a towel so he could help her dry the dinner dishes. He had approached her and her husband while Thea kept Mara distracted in the living room with stories about the newest member of their family: Agatha, the cat who had somehow managed to adopt Loghain, though he still made some attempt to argue the point.

“Besides,” Nathaniel shrugged, accepting the plates Cullen had dried and setting them up in the cupboard, “Our preferred version is the Buckley cover, so it is not like you are stepping on our toes by using the harmonized version.”

“I know, but you two are my friends and I wanted to make sure,” Cullen explained. “Besides-”

“Thea wouldn’t agree until you had,” Cat and Nathaniel finished in near unison, and Cullen laughed. Cat picked up the thread of conversation, her expression curious. “You really asked her to try and convince Loghain? You realize _she_ didn’t even know he could carry a tune until they’d been married nearly six months?”

Cullen shrugged. “I need another strong male voice. And he will do it if she asks him to.”

Nathaniel gave a brief snort of laughter. “Of course he will. No one tells her ‘no’, you know that.”

“For good reason.” Thea sauntered into the room looking for all the world like the cat that had swallowed the canary. “I can be entirely persuasive when I have a mind to be. As it so happens,” she hopped up onto the counter and accepted the beer Nathaniel passed her, “I have managed to solve two problems: Loghain has agreed, providing certain arrangements are made, and I have found you a fifth voice. Also, I have found a way to improve upon your original plans.”

“Improve?” Cullen eyed her warily, but Thea just shrugged with her standard half smile.

“You want your other voice parts, or not? Besides, I do not think you will disapprove of my revisions. I know Mara.”

“So do I,” Cullen began to protest, but Thea simply raised a single eyebrow and stared at him until he fell silent. “OK,” he threw up his hands. “I trust you.”

Thea laughed.

“Oh kitten… you _really_ shouldn’t.”

 

* * *

 

 

“So,” Mara poked him gently in the side, “Does this big surprise have something to do with where you’ve been disappearing off to this entire trip?”

Cullen rubbed the back of his neck, nerves starting to creep in despite his best efforts. “I am sorry I haven’t been more attentive on this trip, Mar, but yes: I’ve been trying to put this together all week.” He paused as they reached the front door of The Hanged Man and took a deep breath before he pushed it open and ushered Mara inside.

He had no idea how Thea had convinced Ven and Varric to shut the place down for the evening; was not _really_ sure he wanted to know. The others had really outdone themselves though: every table was occupied by softly flickering candles and graced with delicate anemone flowers, Mara’s favorite. In the kitchen, he knew Thea had prepared his wife’s favorite dinner that would be served later in the evening. For now…

“Wow,” she exhaled a bit breathlessly. “Is this all for me?”

“Yes,” Cullen nodded, squeezing her hand gently. “Here.” He pulled out a chair for her, and she grinned at the gesture before settling in. When he did not immediately join her, she looked up at him with curiosity written on her face. He offered her what he hoped was a reassuring smile.

“We’ve been working on something for you. Well, it was my idea, but I had a lot of help. With all of it.” He gestured towards the room.

Mara raised her eyebrows in question. “We?”

Cullen nodded his head towards the small stage at the front of the room. Cataline was seated on the far right, and she graced them with her familiar gentle smile. There was an empty seat for him, then Thea and Loghain, and then…

“Creator’s above,” Mara gasped. “Is that Queen Anora!?”

He chuckled quietly. “Did I not mention she was one of Thea’s best friends?”

Mara was momentarily stunned speechless. “But… but Thea and Loghain… and Queen Anora was…?”

“Was the one pushing for them to be together from the start,” Cullen pointed out. He had noticed that the queen had been far more cordial towards him since Thea and Loghain had gotten back together, although she had never been anything but polite to him in the past. “We needed a fifth voice. Anora agreed to help.” The woman in question caught their eye and smiled briefly before turning back to Thea and speaking quietly to her friend.

“A fifth voice for _what_ , exactly?”

Cullen leaned down and pressed a kiss to her forehead. “You’ll see.” He stepped away and ascended the stage, exchanging a nod with Loghain and acknowledging Thea’s half smile. He sat between Thea and Cat, and Nathaniel adjusted the house lights. Cullen took a deep breath.

“ _Well I heard there was a secret chord, that David played, and it pleased the Lord…”_

There was a slight tremor there, but it faded as he sang, the words coming to him as easily as breathing after a moment. One by one his friends filled in the harmony: Cataline, her voice clear and soft as sunrise; Thea and Loghain, their voices balancing each other so perfectly it was hard to imagine them apart; and finally Anora, her flawlessly cultivated voice setting off the melody with exquisite precision. The sound swelled and rolled like waves on the shore, and all the while his gaze was fixed on Mara, her own green eyes sparkling in the candlelight.

Finally, the last notes fell, but the lingering ghost of the harmony hung in the air. For a brief moment, there was silence. Then, Cataline stepped gracefully off the stage into the arms of her husband as they retreated back towards the kitchen. Thea squeezed his shoulder briefly before accepting her husband’s hand as he helped her off the stage, and Anora offered him a final smile before she followed suit. Eventually Thea and Cat would bring out the dinner they had planned for the Cullen and Mara, but for the moment, it was just him and his wife.

He stepped off the stage and she stood, holding her arms out to him with a brilliant smile of her own. Cullen swept her up into his arms, laughing as adrenaline and relief rushed through his brain. “So. Surprised?”

“Very,” Mara nodded. “That was _wonderful_. I’ve never been serenaded before.”

“You didn’t think it was weird?” He asked uncertainly.

Mara gave a small snort. “What, because of Thea? I mean… it was a little weird, but then, this whole situation is a little weird? Thea is a wonderful friend, to both of us. Plus, come on, how many people can say they had a private performance with the Queen of Ferelden?”

Cullen laughed. “Fair enough. If you want, I bet Thea would introduce you. In the meantime, I hope my company will be sufficient.”

Mara sat back down, and this time he took his place beside her, his fingers laced with hers. She looked up at him, and he recognized the light in her eyes.

“Yes,” she nodded softly, “I guess you’ll do.”


End file.
